New Summer Camp Focuses on Leadership Development for Youths
Surge Leadership Camp debuts in July
The North Texas Conference’s newest summer-camp offering provides hands-on leadership training to youths by empowering them to be part of the camp design.
It’s our hope that participants at Surge Leadership Camp, scheduled for July 15-19 at Jan-Kay Ranch Christian Camp in Detroit, Texas, will take the leadership skills they acquire at camp and put them into practice in their churches and communities. It also allows us to offer a camping experience closer to home for our East District churches.
“The entire camp is designed around leadership training and opportunities for practical leadership experience,” said Joseph Bradley, who directs camping and retreat ministry for the North Texas Conference. “Unlike other camps that might offer a few leadership opportunities to a handful of campers, the structure of this camp will ensure that every camper gets an opportunity to lead in one capacity or another.”
Campers will spend the first day of camp designing the rest of the week for elementary-aged children from the area surrounding the camp, which doubles as an exotic-animal rescue sanctuary. The rest of the week will be spent implementing that design and working with the younger children. The last day of camp for the older campers will be spent reflecting on the experience. Adults will be on hand for safety and support for the youth leaders.
Youth will pair up with different age groups of children, while the older youth will facilitate larger group activities such as worship, games, arts and crafts and theater.
“We are constantly looking for ways to create new and exciting camping opportunities for churches in the North Texas Conference,” Bradley said. “By merging leadership training with practical experience, we are developing crucial leadership skills in our campers that will help them excel in church, school and later on in life.“
Published: Wednesday, March 13, 2019